The Carnival
by Kay8
Summary: Mention of drugs and swearing. Harriet invites the JAG lawyers to a night of fun at the carnival, but nothing is ever that easy for our lawyers. Even a carnival turns dangerous. H/M hints. First JAG fic.
1. Part I

**Name**: The Carnival (Part I)  
**Disclaimer**: I own nothing except the plot.**  
Rating: **PG (warning: mention of drugs and a few swear words)**  
Spoilers: **'Capital Crime' and a little bit of 'Lifeline'  
**Note:** This kinda popped into my head, and then a plot developed and it became long and complicated. So it has to be in two parts. I'm going to get the next part up soon, don't worry.

1630 ZULU  
JAG Headquarters  
Falls Church, Virginia

"Did you hear about the Glen Fest carnival?"

I looked up from my paper work. My partner and best friend is standing in my open doorway, leaning against the frame. I would have complained about her not knocking, but I never do, and the door was open. I glance over her. I haven't seen her at all this morning; the Admiral had kept her busy with a case against a civilian lawyer and she had just finished her research into the case. I was nice enough not to bother her. And now she stood in my office almost giddy. Did she just mention a _carnival_?

"So you're alive?" I ask.

"Civilian lawyers are the worst," she says, smiling to show she was joking. I could have brought up a certain Australian who, at one point, had been a civilian lawyer, but finally sense found its way into me and I kept quiet. She seemed to know what I was thinking though. 

"So what about this carnival?" I shove my papers into a pile on my desk and check my watch. "Damn watch," I say. The watch still reads 0730.

"It's 1155," Mac tells me in an off-hand way. "Let's go to lunch and I'll tell you all about the carnival."

I follow her out of my office into the break room to grab my salad and mineral water. Mac has a buttery looking pasta in her hand with a Coke in the other. We head outside and pick a table. She doesn't miss a beat.

"Try my pasta," she says, pushing her Styrofoam container towards me. I look at the buttery mess.

"You even have to eat unhealthy pasta?"

"Just _try_ it, it's really good." I give in to her begging (like always) and twirl some of the pasta around my fork. I shove it into my mouth and chew. It's not as bad as I thought it would be, but I can almost taste the fat and calories. I look Mac. She's looking at me with expectation. I grin at her.

"My pasta is better," I reply calmly. She just rolls her eyes and eats the rest of the greasy noodles. "Anyway, what's this carnival?"

"Harriet's inviting everyone to go on an outing to the Glen Fest Carnival, just outside of D.C. I was told to pass on the invitation to you," she tells me. I turned the idea around in my head. A carnival. Not bad...I hadn't been to one of those in years. With everyone from JAG invited it might be fun. And besides, if Mac is there...no, don't think about that.

"Are you going?" I ask her, hoping to sound casual and _friendly_.

"I plan on it," Mac replies, closing her empty pasta carton. "Are you going to spend Friday night with us or with your apartment?"

This is too good of a chance to pass up, and I congratulate myself on the idea. "I don't think I'll go." I stand up and throw away my plastic salad container. I brush my hands together, flash her a smile, and start walking back inside. 

"Harm, c'mon!" Mac says behind me. I stop and turn around and raise an eyebrow at her. "Why don't you want to go?" she asks and we start walking back up to our offices. 

"Has it ever occurred to you I might have other things to do?"

"With who?" she asks, her voice a bit hurt. Whoops. All right Rabb, you better fix this before it gets out of your hands.

"I never said I was doing anything with a person," I tell her and I can't help but grin. "Since when are you so interested in what I do?"

She stops in the hallway just outside the bullpen and stands in front of me. I look down at her; her face is less than a foot away. I think I might have a heart attack. Mac is smiling at me in her strange little smile that always spooks me. "I don't give a damn what you do in your free time, Commander, or who you do it with. I just wanted to beat you at the arcade games."

She walks away and I can't help but stare at her hips. She disappears into her office and I'm left to wonder whether or not I'll go to this carnival. I start walking to my own office when Harriet stops me.

"Commander, are you coming Friday night?" she asks eagerly. I glance at Mac's doorway, unable to pass the opportunity.

"Sure, what time?"

Harriet gives me a knowing smile. I hate how she does that. She busies herself with the papers she has in her hands to hide her smile. "Oh, we're meeting at the entrance around seven. I'll see you and the Colonel there, right?"

She walks away before I understand what she had just said. She had the nerve to imply I was going with Mac...as in together with her. I shake my head and retreat into my office to work on the Richardson case.

****

2345 ZULU  
Mac's Apartment  
Georgetown

  
I can't find my car keys. I have fourteen minutes at thirty-two seconds before I'm supposed to be at the entrance of the Glen Fest. Jingo keeps running around me, not helping my car key search at all. He rubs against my black jeans making the golden dog hair stick to me. I groan and brush him away. "Jingo, I need my car keys," I say, then realize I'm talking to my dog. I sigh and look down. 

My jeans are covered in dog hair. I try to wipe it off, but it's stuck like glue. I don't have time to pick of each individual hair. My red shirt is all right. Overall, minus the dog hair, I look okay. I mean, it's just a carnival, not a date. Come on, Marine, get it together. Where are my car keys?

I look in the couch cushions for the fifth time when Jingo runs up to me and dances through my legs. Dog hair is now everywhere. "Did you have to do that?" I ask him, trying to remain calm. Then I see the glint of silver in his mouth, along with my Marine key chain. I grab the keys from his mouth and pet him. He rubs against me again and I shove him away. 

Finally, with twelve minutes left, I turn off my lights, lock the door, and hop into my 'Vette. I know I'm speeding, but I'm almost late. I get there and cruise around for a parking spot. It's crowded with teenagers and college students and I'm starting to feel like an outsider. At least I'm not in uniform. I end up parking in some dark corner of the grassy field. I become tense, knowing that it's dark and I'm alone. I give my 'Vette one last glance, praying that it'll be there once I come back.

I walk past a bunch of creepy looking teenagers. That's great, I'm a Marine, Lieutenant Colonel, and I'm creeped out by a bunch of strange looking teenagers. Well, I guess it's reasonable if these teenagers are smoking. I speed up a little. I can see Harriet up ahead at the entrance. I relax considerably. The entrance is lit brightly and there are people crowding around. Not to mention Harriet has spotted me. 

"Nice of you to come, ma'am," she says, smiling brightly. 

"Harriet, we're out of office," I tell her. 

"Of course...Mac."

I look behind her and see Bud talking to Sturgis, with Lauren nearby. Little AJ is holding onto Bud. "Where are the others?" I ask.

"Well, the Admiral couldn't make it. Tiner and Gunny went off with two girls," Harriet told me. I'm not surprised about Tiner and Gunny. They're young men and will go after anything with legs. At least, Gunny would. Not sure about Tiner. "And Commander - er, Harm, hasn't arrived yet. I thought he'd be with you."

I look at Harriet. She's giving me a puzzled look. I open my mouth to say something, but I can't think of anything. Why would he be with me? I can see Sturgis looking at me. He obviously overheard Harriet. He gives me a meaningful look and now I'm regretting again that I told him my feelings for Harm. Sturgis has been good with keeping it a secret, but he sends me these looks that no one else catches. 

"No, Harriet, he isn't with me. But he's three minutes late," I tell her, brushing her comment away. "I didn't think he was coming."

"He is," Harriet says, smiling. I don't like how she smiles like that. Like she knows something that I don't know. "He told me yesterday afternoon." So he tells Harriet and not me? I'm not sure what to think of this. Bud, Sturgis, and Lauren join us. Bud hands AJ over to Harriet. Sturgis and Lauren greet me, Lauren a bit hostile. 

"So, where's Commander Rabb?" Lauren asks. 

"Late."

"Right here." I don't turn around. I only glance at him, giving him a nod in way of greetings. He's dressed in khakis and a navy shirt. 

"Good, let's go then. What should we do first?" Harriet says. I'm starting to feel like I'm in the twilight zone. Since when do JAG lawyers go on outings to the city carnival. I shake it off and decide to badger Harm.

"Late as usual," I say. We're walking with Sturgis. Harriet, Bud, AJ and Lauren are all walking ahead. Lauren is trying to make friends with AJ. 

"Early as usual," Harm replies. 

"I thought you weren't coming. Thought you said you had better things to do?"

"Better things to do than jon us at a carnival, Mac?" Sturgis asks, his voice hinting sarcasm. "Never." I smirk. We walk past the giant Ferris Wheel.

"Someone's going to go with me on that," I say, gazing up at the brightly lit wheel. 

"I thought you'd lose your stomach, Marine," Harm says.

"I can handle a Ferris Wheel."

"We'll see," he says. I'm not annoyed. I actually enjoy arguing with him. We've been following the others up to the fun house. AJ had made it clear that's where he wanted to go, and since this is basically a trip for him, that's where we're going. AJ stops walking for a minute to look back at us. He waves us over. Harm runs up to him and swings him up on his shoulders. It's a change to see Harm acting like that. Not a bad change, just different. 

The fun house is in front of us. It's a big, goofy looking building with mirrors all along the outside of it. There's a clown at the entrance doing tricks. I spot someone in the shadows of the side of the building. Suddenly, as we're waiting in line with our tickets at hand, a kid stumbles from the shadows, yelling rude things and occasional obscenities. I frown upon him, as does everyone else in our group. 

He comes close enough for us to see his face. His eyes are bloodshot and there's a cirgarette sticking from his mouth. I have a funny suspicion that cigarette isn't really what it appears. The teenager turns to an elderly lady and says something quite rude to her, something that would have made me blush if said to me. Harm gives AJ to Bud and walks toward the boy. He pulls him away from the crowd. The teen doesn't seem to notice. 

I follow Harm, nodding to the others to save us a spot in line. The boy is goofy and I'm certain that what he was smoking was some kind of drug. Harm jerks the boy to get his attention. He looks at Harm with confusion, trying to pull the cigarette out of his mouth. Harm does it for him and smells it gingerly. He hands it to me and I inspect it. It looks like marijuana. I press it between my thumb and pointer finger to stop it from smoking anymore. 

"What's your name and age?" Harm asks, slowly, as if speaking to a child. Well, I guess the teen is a child. 

"Doug Nolan. I'm, uh, fifteen," he slurrs, the grins for no apparent reason. 

"What is that you were smoking?"

"Nothing."

"This," Harm says, pointing to the marijuana joint between my fingers, "is nothing? Doug, this is a family establishment and you're running around smoking illegal drugs?"

"Nuh-uh," Doug says, becoming aggressive. 

"Do you have any friends with you?"

"Maybe." Harm gives him his famous dirty look. Doug gives in. "Yeah."

"Where are they?"

"Dunno," Doug says. He seems not to know. I'm not surprised, judging by how drugged he is.

"Were they smoking marijuana, too?" I probe. He looks me up and down. I can feel Harm stiffen beside me, noticing the boys actions. 

"Mighta been. How about you, good lookin'? Wanna get together?" he says. Harm is about to pound the boy, I can sense it, so I step in.

"Listen, Doug," I say, my voice low. "You're disrespecting a whole lot of people right now. Me and the families at this carnival to name a few. You think smoking weed is a great way to put away your pain? Think again. You're going to be in the hands of some police officer in a few minutes, and I promise they won't be as good looking as I am."

"Damn," he said, grinning. I think he's referring to my last statement rather than to the fact he's going with the police. I know what I said was conceited, but the boy is drugged up and hormones are obviously in control. That's the only way I knew to get to him. 

"I'll send Sturgis for an officer," Harm says.

"No, I'll go find one myself," I say, not wanting to be with the teen. I walk away and quickly locate an officer in blue uniform. His name is Officer Peter Kayes. He seems friendly enough as I tell him about Doug and the drugs found with him. I hand the officer the joint. Officer Kayes inspects it and confirms that it is marijuana. I lead him over to where Harm is standing. 

"That was a nice thing you did, ma'am. Normally people don't go around reporting things like this," Kayes says to me. I grin.

"I'm in the Marines, sir," I reply simply. He nods as we reach Harm. Harm introduces himself to Officer Kayes and hands Doug over to him. Doug looks Kayes up and down. 

"Naw, you're right. He ain't as good lookin' as you," Doug says, winking at me. I'm disgusted. Officer Kayes thanks us and takes the boy away, talking into his two-way radio. Harm and I join the rest of the gang near the front of the line. 

"Another good deed in the records of Rabb and Mackenzie," Lauren says. No one replies to her comment. 

"What was he smoking?" Bud asks, holding onto AJ tightly.

"Marijuana," I say. 

"That's strong stuff," Sturgis says. "How did he come by it?"

"No idea, Sturgis," Harm replies. "He's only fifteen."

"Excuse me folks, are you going into the fun house or not?" asks the lady collecting tickets. We all hand her our tickets and proceed into the fun house. It's brightly lit with different colored lights. I can't believe I'm actually in the fun house. I mean, I'm in the United States Marines and I'm running through spinning tunnels. It's actually a nice break from the norm, but a little out there.

Lauren catches up next to me. "Feels like a different place than JAG, doesn't it?" she remarks. 

"It is a different place than JAG, Lauren," I say. "We do have lives."

She shrugs and hurries ahead. I roll my eyes and jump when I hear laughter behind me. "Don't kill her yet," Harm tells me. 

"I'm tempted."

"We all are," he says. We walk into the mirror room. I hate this room to death. The first mirror I look in, I find out that I have a long neck. "Nice tactic to get to Doug, 'I'm good looking and you know it.'"

I knew that was coming. Harm is sometimes very predictable. Sometimes. "Harm, lay off. That's not what I said exactly-."

"Close enough."

"-and besides, he's ruled by his hormones. How else was I supposed to get to him?"

"How about, 'If you lay off the dope, I'll take you on a ride?'" he suggests.

"I hate to say this to you, but red light, Commander," I say.

"I meant one of the rides at the carnival," Harm tells me, grinning. "Better get your head out of the gutter, Marine." He walks away. I stare into the mirror. I have a huge six and a fat nose. I grunt and walk away from the mirrors. 

****

2440 ZULU  
Glen Fest Carnival  
Outside of Washington, DC

  
AJ tugs on my sleeve, then points to a big stuffed giraffe hanging from the booth's back wall. I glance at the game. It's the one where you throw tennis balls into three rings, and if you make it land in the center ring, you get the prize. 

"Want a giraffe?" I ask AJ. He beams. 

"Oh, Harm, let me give you the money," Harriet starts. I wave her off.

"How much?" I ask the vendor. 

"A dollar per ball," he man tells me. I dig out five dollars and hand them to the man. He gives me five tennis balls. I throw all five of them and end up missing. Mac laughs at me. I give her a dirty look. "I'll have another ball, please."

The vendor nods. "Another dollar, sir."

Just as I'm about to dig into my back pocket for my wallet, someone shoves into me. My hands fly out to stop myself from falling. Sturgis steadies me and I turn to look for whoever rammed into me. I shrug it off. It's crowded and people are trying to get around. I dig into my back pocket and come out empty handed. I dig into the other pocket. Nothing. 

"Do you see a wallet anywhere?" I ask, looking at the ground around me. Mac gives me a look.

"You just had it, didn't you?"

"It's gone," I say in disbelief. "I've been pick-pocketed."

"Come now, at a carnival?" Harriet asks. 

"Harriet, there are kids smoking marijuana around here. Do you think that pick-pocketing is stoppable?" Bud says reasonably. I'm still looking around me.

"Do you know who took it?" Lauren asks. I try not to yell at her...what a mundane question for her to ask. 

"If I did, I'd be on his six-."

"Harm," Mac interrupts me. She glances at AJ, who's looking curiously at me. Mac reaches into her purse and pulls out a dollar. "Here, give AJ that giraffe."

"Unca Harm," AJ says, excited. "Will you make it?"

"Course I will," I say. Half-heartedly, I toss the ball at the rings. To my surprise it lands in the center one. The vendor smiles and asks what I want. I point to the giraffe and he takes it down. I give it to AJ; it's half as tall as he is. He hugs it.

"What do you say, AJ?" Bud prompts.

"Thanks!" AJ says, delighted. I smile at him. He tugs at Bud's sleeve again. "Bathroom."

"Ah, we'll be back," Bud says, then walks off with AJ toward the portable toilets. 

"Anyone willing to take me to the Ferris Wheel?" Mac asks, gazing up at it again.

"You never quit, do you?" I ask.

"I'm going to go on it tonight," she says firmly. 

"Didn't think you were that eager for throwing up."

"I'm not going to throw up."

"You will."

"So what if I do?"

"You won't be doing it all over me," I say. Sturgis raises his eyebrows at me. 

"How about I buy everone ice cream?" Harriet suggests. 

"Let me split the price with you," I say quickly.

"Stop being a gentleman, Harm," Mac says. 

"We know what a miracle that would be," Lauren adds. 

"And besides, you don't have your wallet, remember?" Harriet reminds me. "I owe you five dollars anyway."

Harriet's already ordering ice creams for everyone. I'm still arguing with her. We're standing behind her in line, very crowded. I'm pressed against Sturgis' side and Mac's six. Not that it's a problem, but...

"Excuse me, sir," someone asks behind me. I try to turn around. There's a woman with twins in her arms. "Could you tell me the time?" I look at my watch and find that it's not there. I stare at my wrist in amazement. I've never been pick-pocketed before, and now it's happened twice? The woman behind me is still waiting for the time. Mac answers for me.

"Eight o'clock," Mac says, refraining from using military time. The woman smiles and tends to her children. 

"Where's your watch?" Sturgis asks, though he's obviously aware of the answer.

"In some thief's hands," I reply darkly. "I seem to be the target." I scan over the crowd (which isn't all that hard, as I'm pretty tall). Bud and AJ are walking back to us. The reach us just in time for AJ to get his ice cream. He's delighted. Harriet hands Lauren, Sturgis, Mac, and me one. I try to push it away, but she shoves it into my hand and turns around. I'm surprised by her force. We walk away from the ice cream stand. 

"I don't get one?" Bud asks, frowning at his wife. 

"You're trying to stay fit, Bud. Ice cream won't help," she says, wiping AJ's chin. Bud stares at her, rather dumbfounded. 

"At least you've got someone looking out for you," I say to him, patting his back. "Your watch won't be stolen anytime soon."

"Your watch got stolen?"

"Just a minute ago," I inform him. 

"How about we go on the Ferris Wheel after this," Mac says, trying to look innocent. "No one can steal anything off you up there."

"But your ice cream will be all over me," I say, unable to pass the chance. 

"She's just looking out for you, Harm," Sturgis says, grinning. 

****

0110 ZULU  
Glen Fest Carnival  
Outside of Washington, DC

  
Yes, finally, it's our turn. I'm a third grader all over again, eager to go on the huge Ferris Wheel. And we're just in time, too, since there are fireworks scheduled for eight-fifteen, just five minutes from now. Harm, Bud, AJ, and I are the only ones going up. Lauren says that she'd rather not go up. I asked Sturgis why he isn't going up and he told me, quietly, that he's, "leaving Harm to me." The nerve of him. 

I've been standing in line for three minutes. The balding man who looks bored out of his mind waits until everyone else gets off the ride before letting us on. It takes forever; the first people hop in, the whole wheel turns a little, the next people get in. It was another minute before I climb into a seat. Harm follows me, giving me a look. 

"What?"

"Is your ice cream digested?"

"Don't worry. If I feel the urge I'll turn my head," I assure him. We're jerked upward. Bud and AJ board on the seat below us. The sky is pretty dark by this time, perfect for the fireworks. "The fireworks will start soon." Harm doesn't reply. I turn to look at him. He's looking over the edge to Sturgis, who's mouthing something to him. Harm shakes his head slightly, but I catch it.

I look down at Sturgis. He winks at me and strolls off. "What was he telling you?" I ask Harm, dreading the answer. Sturgis is being a pain in my six. 

"He's just being Sturgis." I guess that answers it well enough. I'm not about to prod him any furthur. 

"You're hogging the seat," I tell him. He looks at the seat.

"Close quarters, Marine," Harm says. I roll my eyes. Suddenly the lights go off. Not all, but a good portion of them. Most of the lights on the Ferris Wheel go black. There are a few dots here and there along the carnival. I'm suddenly aware of how close I am to Harm. Talk about close quarters. He's trying to move his feet so that they're not smashed against the safety bar. 

"Why'd they turn the lights off?" he grunts.

"Fireworks." The Ferris Wheel slows considerably. It's obvious they won't let us off until the fireworks are over. On my left the sky is lit by fireworks. The sound fills the air and I smile. 

"Did we have to go on now? We'll never get off this thing," Harm complains. 

"I'm trying to watch the show," I tell him. I suddenly feel his hand on my own and I look at him, surprised. He smiles sheepishly and moves his hand.

"Sorry, I'm still trying to adjust."

"Would you just sit down?" I whisper to him. I can see the fireworks reflecting in his eyes. There's a big moan of amazement from the crowd. Harm finally sits still, but his arms are awkwardly bunched in his lap. He lifts the arm closest to me and rests in on the back of our seat. I try not to fidget. I mean, it's not like his arm is on my shoulder. It's around the seat. That's what I keep telling myself. 

"Getting cozy?" I ask him, joking.

"I've been better," he replies.

"I'm offended."

"The Ferris Wheel should be offended."

"Just watch the fireworks," I tell him. He obeys and we sit, watching the show. It's kind of tranquil sitting there, Harm's body warming me. I'm glad the lights are out. If Sturgis saw me like this he'd have a cow. The fireworks continue to explode in many different colors. I watch as the glowing sparks float down onto the pond. 

"Your head is in my way," Harm tells me, completely ruining the moment. 

"You must really hate Hallmark," I tell him. 

"That wasn't a Hallmark moment," he replies. "Move your head."

"Where?" I ask him. Finally I decide to rest my head on his shoulder. Not that either of us mind.

"Thanks." I roll my eyes. What this must look like to the rest of the world; Harm's arm around the seat and my head on his shoulder. The show is ending and the lights are turning back on. I lift my sleepy head from his shoulder and he moves his arm. I move quickly so Sturgis can't pester me later. I'd give Harm money for his thoughts right now. 

When we spin around once again and are on our way back down, AJ turns around and waves to us. We wave back before Bud grins at us and points out Harriet to AJ on the ground below us. AJ claps his hands happily. 

"It's nice to have some youth around, isn't it?" Harm asks. His voice sounds distant. 

"It makes me feel old."

"You're not old. If anyone, I'm old," he says. 

"Harm, you're thirty-eight. You're not old."

"That's almost forty."

"What do you want?" I ask him as we stop. The first people are getting off now. "You've got everything going for you Harm, why are you so depressed about your age?"

He looks at me, his eyes staring into mine. "I want a lot of things." Suddenly, I'm reminded of our conversation on the Admiral's porch at my engagement party. Okay, must steer clear of that kind of conversation. 

"I know what you want," I say, trying to remain serious. He looks at me, perplexed. 

"What?"

"Your wallet, your watch, and a bigger Ferris Wheel seat."

  
**Did ya like it? Tell me what you thought. Part II will be up soon.**


	2. Part II

**Name:** The Carnival (Part I)  
**Disclaimer:** I own nothing except the plot.  
**Rating:** PG (warning: mention of drugs and a few swear words)  
**Spoilers:** 'Capital Crime' and a little bit of 'Lifeline'  
**Note:** This kinda popped into my head, and then a plot developed and it became long and complicated. So it has to be in two parts. This is the second part. Enjoy!

0130 ZULU  
Glen Fest Carnival  
Outside of Washington, DC

  
"Did you have fun?" Sturgis asks me, sarcasm in his voice. 

"I think the answer is obvious, Sturgis, don't you?" I reply quietly. Harm is playing with AJ as we decide what to do next. 

"That's what I thought," Sturgis says, then walks away. 

"Did you enjoy your ride with Commander Rabb?" Lauren asks. I turn to face her. She flashes me a mock-perky smile. I don't reply to her right away. "Well?" she probes. 

"Are you implying something, Lauren?" I test.

"I'm not the one implying anything. I'm gathering the evidence."

"What evidence is there of anything?" I say, turning away from her. I start walking toward the rest of the group. I realize in mid-step that's a bad idea if Lauren keeps up with this conversation, but I can't stop walking now. 

"Not everyone is blind in the dark," she says. Lauren continues toward the group, leaving me standing. Sometimes she makes me so mad. Like now, for instance. Okay, so she can see through the darkness. And she manages to see me and Harm in the Ferris Wheel. But does she have to be so damn smart about it?

I walk to the group and see that Harm has gotten himself a drink. He glances at me from behind the plastic cup. I grab the cup from him and sip some of it. It turns out to be Spirte. Sturgis and Lauren both give me looks. I immediately stop drinking and give Harm his drink back. Okay, not good. Sturgis knows for certain how I feel, Lauren suspects something. Definitely not good. 

Harm takes his drink and looks inside, as if wondering what's wrong with it. He drinks the rest and discards the cup into the trash can. He's about to turn back around when he stops moving and stares at something up the pathway. I glance ahead and see a brown leather wallet, just like his. Harm starts walking toward it and I lose him in the crowd.

A group of teenagers walks in front of me, even further screening everything off. I can't see anyone else anymore, and then I feel something prod me in my lower back. 

"Listen to what I say or I'll shoot."

****

0140 ZULU  
Glen Fest Carnival  
Outside of Washington, DC

  
Yes! My wallet! Whoever stole must've been either really stupid or really clumsy. I'm feeling great right now; I was just on the Ferris Wheel with Mac and now I find my wallet. Finding my watch could only make things better. 

"Did you find it?" Sturgis asks. 

"This is it," I say, slapping it against my hand. "Oh, Harriet, I owe you for ice cream. How much was it?"

"I'm not going to accept you money, sir," Harriet says. AJ is in her arms. 

"It's Harm, Harriet, and how much was it?"

"I won't accept," she repeats. 

I'm defeated. "I also owe Mac a dollar.... Where's Mac?" We all look around. I can see Bud, Harriet and AJ. Sturgis is by my side and Lauren is standing here, looking impatient. 

"She's not here-."

"Mac!" I yell over the din. It's hopeless. "Who saw her last?" My good mood just crashed at seventy miles an hour. I left everyone to go get my wallet, everyone followed, except Mac. Maybe she got lost in the crowd? I doubt it. 

"Commander," Bud says, "we all saw her take your drink." That's right. Okay, so I threw my drink away and went after my wallet. 

"Did you all follow me to get my wallet?" I ask. They all nod mutely. 

"Sir, she wouldn't have left on her own," Harriet said, biting her lip. 

"That's what worries me." I've been through this before. We've been through this before. Mac's been held hostage before, so I shouldn't be completely surprised. The only reason I'm worried is that we are at a carnival, out of uniform, not prosecuting or defending anyone. Who on earth would take Mac? First my wallet and watch, now Mac. 

Then it dawns on me. It was so nicely planned that my wallet turned up just as Mac disappeared. Whoever took my wallet and watch in the first place is most likely who took Mac. There are just too many coincidences at one carnival to convince me otherwise. I glance at everyone else. They seem to be coming to the same conclusions. 

AJ suddenly yawns loudly, jarring us all from our thoughts. 

"Harriet, take AJ home, will you?" Bud says, obviously concerned. 

"I should stay..." she starts, looking at her son. Bud kisses her on the cheek. 

"I'll call you if anything happens. And I'm sure I can get a ride," Bud assures. Harriet nods, starts to walk past me, then stops and faces us all. 

"Find her. Good luck." 

She's gone. I mean Harriet, not Mac, but I guess it applies to both of them. No, Mac isn't gone...she's just indisposed. Right, Rabb, think. 

"All right, we're lawyers who defend and prosecute criminals. Think," I order. 

"It's obvious that whoever stole your wallet took Mac," Sturgis said. "The timeline fits too nicely."

"We need to find her. They just took her a few minutes ago. They couldn't have gotten out of the carnival yet," Bud says. 

"Split up?"

"In groups," Lauren says. We all look at her. She rolls her eyes. "So we don't all get lost?" For once she's composed a decent thought. It's a miracle. 

"I'll go with Lauren," Bud says. "We'll meet back here in ten minutes if we can't find anything." They leave. I turn to Sturgis. In my mind I'm thinking of everyone who would want to get any kind of revenge on me. 

"Who wants anything to do with me?" I ask for help.

Sturgis raises his eyebrows. "You? Isn't Mac the one missing?"

"My wallet, my watch, my partner," I say. The last word is a stretch. Sturgis nods, then concentrates. I think of everyone I've come in contact with that knows I'm here. I can think of quite a few people, but they don't seem like people who would sneak off and pick-pocket me. 

"Drugs," Sturgis says. I look at him, confused. Drugs? What is he on about? "The kid who you busted for drugs. Did he have any friends with him?"

I try to remember. _"Do you have any friends with you?" "Maybe...yeah." "Where are they?" "Dunno."_ "He had friends. I'm sure that if that kid was smoking a joint, the rest of his pals were following. If they're all drugged up, they might not be thinking rationally...."

"And they might be blowing things out of proportion. Thinking things that you and Mac took their friend. They might want revenge," Sturgis said carefully. I nod. We're thinking along the same track. 

"Logically, they'd try to get out of the carnival." We both look towards the exit, then at each other. We take off toward the exit. I look around me as I shove myself through the crowd. Everything catches my eye. We reach the entrance and I approach the guard stationed there. 

"Excuse me, sir, have you seen a woman walk past? She was with a group of teenagers?" I ask. I have to look down to meet the guard at the eye. He screws up his face in thought. 

"Uh, yeah, matter of fact I think I did. Brownish hair? Good looking?" the guard asks. 

Who are you calling good looking? "That's her."

"Yeah, they went somewhere over there," the guard says, pointing behind him. We nod and thank him, then walk into the parking lot. The temporary parking lot is dim, only lit by the carnival lights. 

"Now we have no idea where they went. Her car? Their car?" Sturgis asks. Through the darkness I can tell he's worried. He's doing a good job of hiding it, but I know how to hide worry, and Sturgis is hiding it. 

"Let's get my car and drive around the lot. We'll be less suspicious that way," I say, bitterness biting at my voice.

****

For the tenth time I try to coax the teen to lay the weapon down. "It won't do any good," I say. The burly boy turns to face me. Good lord, he's taller than I am. When he speaks, I can smell the foul odor of some drug and alcohol on his breath. 

"Shut up, woman," he snaps, his eyes quivering. Great, so I'm being taken hostage by a drunk teenager. And his friends. There are three of them around. One of them is a girl. The burly boy told me not to 'try anything funny' as we passed the guard. When we passed the guard, he stared me down. I don't think it was because I was surrounded by teenagers. 

Luckily the Marine in me has kicked up. I've been paying attention to my surroundings. I know we took a right at the entrance, away from my car. We stop behind a pick-up truck and the burly boy points the gun at me again. 

"Where's your car?" he asks, slurring. I think hard. Where will the rest look first? My car? They don't know where I parked, so that won't do any good. Maybe I should look for one of the others' car? I squint through the darkness without looking obvious. I can see someone walking, carrying a child. 

The teens see the person, too. "Don't panic. Look like you're having fun. We have a gun," the girl tells me. She's heavily drugged, too, but not drunk. I try to see the person through the night. Suddenly I realize who it is. 

"Fine," I say, "I'll play along." When she's close enough, I let out a laugh. She looks at me and obviously realizes who it is. 

"Good," the burly boy says. I laugh again. I'm so glad Harriet's walking past that I don't even fake the laugh. She stares at me for a moment before discreetly pointing down the lot to my right. She mouths the words, "Harm's car." At least, that's what I think it is. I pray that's what it is. Harriet quickly disappears into the night with AJ. 

"So where's your car?" the girl asks again, pointing her finger into my chest. They all had their backs to Harriet.

"Over there," I say, pointing to the right where Harriet pointed. "What do you want with me?"

"To have some fun," says a black boy. The girl suddenly looks disgusted. 

"Oh, please, you're not going to _that_. I'm leaving if you are," she says. I suddenly know what the boys want from me. There are two against me, and even if I do have the military training, there's reality to think of. They're both bigger than I am. My mouth slackens a bit at the thought.

"C'mon," the burly boy says, jamming the gun into my back. I swear, as drunk as he is, he might shoot on accident. I see Harm's SUV looming in the dark. I try not to wonder what will happen when the kids realize I don't have keys to the car. One thing at a time, Marine. 

The burly boy grabs my wrists suddenly and turns me to face him. Lost in my anger I turn weak and he has control. He grins lopsidedly and his eyes rove over me. I try to jerk away from him but the black boy is behind me, holding my waist. I'm utterly disgusted. I throw myself, trying to break away from them. I'm blind with anger. I feel the butt of the gun against my throat. 

"You better cooperate," he says. The alcohol reeks. Again I ignore the threats. I know he won't kill me; he wants to do other things first. I shudder and twist around. 

"Put the gun down," says a voice. Two things happen at once. I turn my head to look who spoke, though I'm pretty certain that I know who it is. At the same time the burly, drunken boy moves his head down to kiss me, but instead places his lips on my cheek. I can smell the over powering alcohol on him. It seems to be sinking into my skin because of the contact. I'm disgusted at the thought of alcohol on me. 

Sturgis emerges from the darkness. Have I ever mention how much I appreciate him? I think now's a good time. The burly kid jerks his head away from my cheek to look at Sturgis, surprised. Sturgis is avoiding my eyes. And through all this I can't help but wonder where Harm is. I try to ask Sturgis with my eyes, but he's still avoiding them. 

"Who are you?" the kid asks, pushing the gun closer to my throat so I almost gag. Sturgis notices and stops advancing. The teen backs against the car behind him. We're smashed between Harm's SUV and the other car. The boy pulls me with him, unfortunately. 

"Drop the gun!" Sturgis almost yells. Sturgis, _don't panic_! The boy pulls me against him, his amazingly strong arm wrapped around my back. His hand is dangerously close to my six and I'm praying that he doesn't notice. I feel his hand move downward. I feel sick to my stomach. 

Suddenly someone grabs the boy by his arm, dragging the gun away from my neck and upward. Sturgis is on the other side of him, holding his other arm. I notice that Harm is the one holding the boy's other arm. They pin him against the opposite car. Still nauseous, I try backing away. The other teens seem to be paralyzed by fear and shock. In my weakness I stumble. That's when I hear the gunshot and feel the pain.

"Mac!"

The bullet is in my leg and I fall. I feel like my leg is on fire. The pain starts in my calf, slowly spreading up my leg. I'm lying face down. Using my military training, I scoot myself by my stomach to the back of Harm's car. I watch Harm and Sturgis struggle to keep the kid down, and his gun away from anyone else. Harm is able to wrench the gun from the kid's hand and he tosses it. It lands just by the tire. I scoot forward and grab it.

I manage to sit up and crawl so that I can see the two other teens. I point the gun at them. "Don't move," I warn. Warm blood is running down my leg. I try to ignore the pain. It's overwhelming. My hand that holds the gun trembles. 

There are sirens in front of me. Three cop cars pull up to the area. The amount of relief that floods me is unexplainably huge. I watch, as if in slow motion, the cops pulling the drunken, burly kid from Harm and Sturgis and forcing him onto the ground. They search him and force him into the cop car. The other two teens are put into another car. The last thing I see before I black out is an ambulance.

****

0800 ZULU  
Naval Hospital  
Bethesda, MD

  
"Sir?"

I turn around to look at the petite nurse. I smile a little. She blushes. 

"I need to perform a few tests," she says. I look back at Mac. She's been sleeping since she blacked out at the carnival. That's about five and a half hours. I look back at the nurse who's standing on the other side of the bed. 

"Is she supposed to sleep this long?"

The nurse smiles a bit. "She's unconscious out from shock and loss of blood. Now she's just sleeping. Don't worry, she's had a rough night. Why don't you go get some sleep, Commander?"

I turn the idea in my head. "No, coffee will do." The nurse laughs softly and nods, then begins prodding Mac. I remember how the nurses had poked me when I had my accident earlier that year. Quickly I walk from the room and join Sturgis and Bud in the waiting area. They both have coffee. Lauren, it appears, has gone home.

"How is she, sir?" Bud asks. 

"Sleeping, still."

"She'll be find, Harm," Sturgis assures me. I nod and grab a Styrofoam cup of warm coffee. I sip it. Okay, so it's hospital coffee and not the best, but it still has caffeine in it. Suddenly Bud's cell phone rings, startling the three of us from our thoughts. 

"Hello?" Bud listens to the other line, then nods. "I'll get a ride, Harriet. You should be in bed.... What? Oh, Mac? She's sleeping.... No.... Yes, it's fine. How's AJ?.... Good. I'll see you in a little bit." Bud shuts the phone off and stands up. 

"I can give you a ride," I offer. 

"No, Harm, I'll do it. You should stay with Mac," Sturgis says. "You're her friend." I was going to mention that Sturgis is her friend too, but decide against it. Sturgis and Bud gather their things and get up to leave.

"Bud, thank Harriet for calling the police," I say. Bud smiles a bit. 

"Yes sir. Goodnight." 

"Do you want me to come back?" Sturgis asks. I think about it. I tell Sturgis to go home and rest. He agrees eventually. They leave and I relax with my coffee again. I never thought carnivals could get so out of hand. Just because I did a good thing and busted a kid for drugs, his friends seek revenge. They took my wallet, my watch, and my girl.

My girl? Excuse me? Where did that come from, Rabb? I better pull the horse's reigns a bit harder. I shake my head. Luckily, after all this, I've gotten my wallet, watch, and _Mac_ back from the teenagers. I see the big kid's arms wrapped around Mac and I see white. I can see why she's hesitant to trust men. I'm glad that we found Mac as soon as we did. Any later and she might have been....

"Commander Rabb?"

I look up into the face of the nurse. I blink and focus on her. "Yes?"

"Colonel Mackenzie is awake, sir." 

"Thank you," I say. I enter her room. Mac's eyes meet mine sleepily. The only light is the dim side lamp and it casts shadows on her tired face. The dirt that covered her face has been washed off. She's still plagued by fatigue, but at least she's awake. 

"Hey."

"Is it all right if I come in?" I ask. 

She laughs a bit. That's a good sign. "I'm not going to throw my ice cream up on you."

"That's not what I'm worried about," I say seriously. She sobers up a little. I sit in the chair next to her bed. Unsure of what to do with myself, I grin at her. "How are you?"

"My leg hurts like hell," Mac says, wincing. She looks at me curiously. "Tell me the story."

"Mac?"

She laughs again. "How you found me."

I tell her how we all split up to search for her. I explain that Sturgis and I walked into the parking lot, going to my car to drive around to look for her. I explained everything to her; how Harriet pulled around in her car, frantically telling us to get to Mac, who was by my car; how Sturgis and I found her in the teenager's hands; how I creeped around the back of the nearby car, and at the right moment caught the kid's arm. 

After my tale I look up to Mac. Her eyes are wet. I grab her hand without thinking. "Mac, what's wrong?"

Her breath shudders. "The teenager almost...almost," she looks down, unable to finish. The water escapes her eyes. I put one hand on her cheek, wiping away a tear. "I feel sick," she whispers, still not meeting my eyes. I lift her chin with my hand so that she is forced to look in my eyes.

"Throw up all you want," I tell her. She smiles warily and wraps her arms around me. I return the hug and we sit like that, awkwardly embracing each other over the hospital bed. Mac doesn't smell the same; the scent of the hospital has replaced her familiar smell. 

"When do you get out of here?" I ask her, speaking through her hair. She pulls back. I'm reluctant to let her go, but I remind myself that now isn't the time. 

"Whenever I can walk."

"The Admiral won't be happy."

"No, I won't," said a voice from the doorway. Mac and I turn to find the Admiral standing there, out of uniform. I wonder how much he saw. "You two can't go to a damn carnival without getting yourselves killed?"

"Sorry, sir," Mac says, grinning all the same. 

"Don't let it happen again," the Admiral says, then smiles. "Morning, Commander."

"Good morning, Admiral."

"I assume you're the hero of this drama once again?"

"Turner helped," I reply. The Admiral looks at Mac. 

"Make sure you get walking ASAP, Colonel. You've got the weekend to heal."

"I'll be sure to tell my leg that, sir."

"See to it that you do," the Admiral says. I guess that was his was of telling Mac to get better soon. Nodding to both of us, the Admiral walks briskly from the room. I exchange a look with Mac. 

"Emotional, isn't he?"

"I'll say. You'll be leaving soon, right?"

"No, I've got everything I need here," I tell her. I realize how that sounded after I said it. 

She grins mischievously. "You're wrong, flyboy." I raise my eyebrows at her. "Your Ferris Wheel seat is still the same size."

**FIN**


End file.
